


Setting Up The Board

by Ladyayla121



Series: Descendent of Mythal [5]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2016-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-12 19:07:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9085936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyayla121/pseuds/Ladyayla121
Summary: The Inquisitor assembles her teams to come to her and begin to set up her way path to help Solas and the world. She also reveals several secrets to her inner circle.





	1. Chapter 1

Nyxlyn stood hunched over in gold and black Dalish robes with her long midnight black hair running silkily down her back, as she, Cassandra, and Josephine looked over her map of the entire world, deep underground in Mythal’s Sanctuary in her kingdoms war room that rivaled the one at Skyhold. 

The door opened to reveal her Spy Master, Leliana. “My Agents have found nothing. With the Eluvians, he could be anywhere.” She informed her.

“With the Inquisition officially disbanded, we have no army, no formal alliances…” Cassandra says with frustration coming off her in waves.

“Yes, we do.” Nyxlyn told her as Leliana closes the door and walks to the table, arms behind her back. 

“We have several alliances. The Inquisitor has been busy for the last month its seems.” Josie said.

“We do have an army and several alliances. All of the Dalish are under my command. Sola’s ranks were infiltrated after our journey to the Well of Sorrows. Sola’s believe him to be his most trusted advisor but Abelas actually been mine since Vir’Abelasan, and was infiltrated again when all the elves started disappearing. His weren’t the only ones disappearing. My Clans were all coming here under the command of their Queen. I have more forces than he could ever find because we are all down here. Did you ever wonder why there were only so few Clans of Dalish? We wanted the world to believe us to be mostly scarce so we could do our duty.”

“I thought all the elves went to him.” Cassandra stated as she processed the news. “And what duty are you talking about?”

“That’s what we wanted him to think.” Nyxlyn replied with a mischievous smile. “I don’t plan on killing him or stopping him. He has my full support in bringing back his People, however, Solas is going about it the wrong way. Had he told me the truth of who he was when we were in the Inquisition I would have given him my truths and could’ve helped with his mission with a different outcome. I have been having him watched so anything he learns or finds I do as well. This in turn helps us grow and strengthen ourselves. It will alert us when he will put his final plans into action with bringing down the Veil.”

“You have been busy,” Cassandra remarks with a smile of approval. “But we still need more to our forces than just the Dalish.”

“Of course, Cassandra.” Leliana chimes in. “With Varric’s, Bull’s, Sera’s, Blackwall’s, Dorian’s, and Cullen’s help we also have an alliance with the Dwarves, the Avvar, an army of spies, the Grey Wardens, Tevinter, and most of our Inquisition forces all on our side. Cullen has been out in camps training troops with Bull and Blackwall spread out across Thedas. We have been doing things secretly since the Inquisition disbanded a month ago.”

“Then why do we stay in hiding?” 

“Because Solas must not know until he is ready to tear down the Veil. If he finds out before he accomplishes that he will try to stop us and in doing so will kill not just this world but his too. We need to make sure we have what we need and that means me researching and mastering all magic, and telling you my story so you fully understand what is at stake. That will take some time. Solas still has to find all of the Orbs like the one Corypheus stole to gain the power to take the Veil down, since I disrupted that with my mark.” They all stared at her arm; surprised to see she had her full arm back, fully functional, clearly re-grown by magic. “He has been going to every ancient ruin of his people for months now collecting signs and hints to the Orbs. He has already has two of them, no three if you count the sliver of power from Mythal. He has just found June’s foci.”

“But how does he intend to use the power?” Cassandra asks. 

“We think he has been trying to recreate the Anchor from his orb but stronger than what I had on my arm, or so we assume. He absorbs the power from them. He gains the power of the Old Gods and learns all of their magic. He needs all of the Gods to add to his own. Once he has all of them he will begin to take down the Veil. But whenever he absorbs the powers another part of the man I love gets locked away deep inside. His soul is changing into something unrecognizable. He will become more prone to violence the more power he absorbs. He has already turned some of those who stop him to stone though he hasn’t killed them yet. He just traps them in the stone. The more powerful he gets his goals will change when it comes to preserving any life that stands in his way.”

“Then why let him do this?” Cassandra asks, her voice filled with disapproval.

“Because he will never stop. He needs to do this, needs to fix what he believes he broke when he created the Veil. He wants to make up for his past mistakes and set his People free. Bring the old world back. I want to help him redeem himself, which he can’t accomplish this with the path he has taken. Not without our help, whether he wants it or not. If we don’t succeed in protecting the life of not just this world but his too everything will die, except him and it will destroy him.”

“And how do you plan on protecting the world, Inquisitor?” Cassandra looks at her with weary eyes. 

“I can’t share all of that yet for not all of it has been revealed to me yet. However, I will tell you what I has been, when the rest of our friends arrive. But for now I will tell you this. I must find all the artifacts he had me activate throughout Thedas. I have to absorb all of their magic to become strong enough to stop him in whatever way the visions tell me.” Nyxlyn explains.” Now there is a reason this has to succeed. A reason only one other person aside from Leliana knows. This has to be kept a secret from Solas at all costs so this never leaves this Sanctuary.”

“What is it?” Cassandra asks with slight impatience.

Nyxlyn smiles, her whole body glowing. Leliana grins from ear-to-ear. “I am a soon to be mother.” She says eyes twinkling with unrestrained joy. Josephine’s mouth drops in shock before breaking out into a smile.

“Your pregnant?” Cassandra asks dumbfounded.

Nyxlyn laughs and replies, “Indeed I am. I am a month and a half along.”

“Is it his?” 

“Yes.” 

“Why not tell him then? Maybe he would change his mind.” Cassandra asks disapprovingly.

“He doesn’t need to add another precious life to possibly destroy. If he doesn’t know that will make it easier for him to heal in the aftermath.” Nyxlyn said sadly as she rubbed her still small belly. “If I don’t survive this, which is most likely since it will take all of my power I gain, I need you to promise me you will bring him his child when it is done. He still deserves to have family, his family.”

Very reluctantly Cassandra and Leliana agree to this promise before they continue on with plans to grow their numbers in the coming months. While they discussed strategies on how to gain more knowledge of all the ruins and places those artifacts she needed were, Nyxlyn wrote to Varric for him to come and meet them. Next she contacted Dorian through the Purple Crystal he gave her and told him it was time as well. The next few months she would be training herself in Blood Magic and she needed Dorian’s help since Blood Magic is his specialty. 

What she didn’t tell Cassandra or Leliana was that she was also gaining power from the Fade that Solas himself didn’t know he could use. In a way she had already surpassed his skills in the Fade. The whispers from the Well had told her the knowledge of it and taught her how to absorb it. She only told them what they needed to know. They still didn’t know of the prophecy or about the Tree of Life that was standing strongly in Mythal’s Garden. Nobody was allowed in there but herself and Abelas and the Keepers of the Clans. They were the guards of the garden and protected it day and night.

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, Nyxlyn decided to absorb more Fade magic into her foci. This was another thing she didn’t tell them, waiting for the right moment, when she needed to reveal everything. She dreamed an innocent dream not in her control. Whatever magic he has acquired recently has taken her by surprise giving him a small glimpse at this dream. She felt it the minute he was there but allowed him to watch with enraptured interest as she bared her four months pregnancy to him, a simple fantasy, and a wish that would never come true, so she allowed him to see. In the vaguest of ways she told him but he doesn’t see the hints in her eyes. 

“What would you do Solas, if I was carrying your child now?” She asked, already knowing his answer, knowing him. She came up behind him, surprising him. She felt him flinch, startled that she had caught him before her could vanish. After his initial shock had passed she could see him process the question, with it all the colliding emotions roll on his face before he turned pulls it behind a cold mask.

“It wouldn’t change anything, but it is a nice dream, Vhenan.” He tells her, a tender smile reluctantly appearing on his face as he observed the scene of her telling him, him caressing her belly, and the ecstatic joy across their faces. “I wish it could be true.” He looks at her sadly.

“I know, and I’m sorry you witnessed this particular dream. I don’t know how you broke through my controls and I wished you hadn’t seen it. Do what you will Solas, and come back to me when you accomplish your goals.” Nyxlyn hugs him sadly, absorbing just a small amount of his magic into her core, without him even realizing it. She is testing his power, looking to see how many orbs he has in him. She silently breathes a sigh of relief as she sees he has only Mythal’s and June’s power within him. “Please, let me enjoy my dream in peace. You weren’t supposed to see my any of this.” She blushes red for a second as she imagines them making a child, quite enthusiastically, in times of peace.

“Never be ashamed of showing me your dreams, Vhenan.” He grins mischievously at the sudden turn in her dreams. He feels his cock begin to harden at the scene. Solas tries to distract himself by tugging a strand of her hair, playing with it in his hand, enjoying the silky soft feel of it. “Sometimes they are the only things keeping me still me.”

Nyxlyn shakes her head as she takes his hand and kisses it before stepping away from his embrace. 

“You have grown since last we shared a dream such as this. You can manipulate the Fade to your liking or so I have observed with the few things you have allowed me to see.” He observes proudly. “You have also changed. Something inside you is more at home than when you became Inquisitor. The way you hold yourself as if nobody else could ever rule over you”

She stayed silent as he made his analysis of her. Her chin held high her posture displayed as he did often, straight with her hands behind her back. “I believe you have found The Game to be more intriguing than you led us all on to believe. Are you playing such a game now, Nyxlyn?”

“My plans are my own Solas, and forgive me if I wish to keep them that way. You have no reason to fear I would move against you, since I have no interest in doing so. I want you to redeem yourself and unite the world even if I know the path you have chosen will end as you have threatened it would, Vhenan.” She replies calmly, her face a controlled emotionless mask just like the one he himself is wearing. “You told me once you wouldn’t let me see what you become and why you wouldn’t let me help you. Help you are getting regardless of what you want…” She whispered in his ear before kissing him and vanishing from the Fade.

 

 

The next few weeks, Varric, Dorian, and all of her inner circle arrived with their soldiers of Mages, Rogues, Warriors all different backgrounds, races, and abilities. Here Templar’s and Mages didn’t react with cold disdain for each other but trusted each other implicitly thanks to the Inquisition’s peace. Spreading them out through out the city was easy since the city was huge. All of them come there to provide whatever assistance she will need. Deep in the forests beyond the Fereldan Kingdom’s borders, beyond the mountains was this hidden city. A sanctuary in desperate times, where all the Clans wandered to for safety when the world’s troubles threatened to wipe them out. Only the Keepers and the Firsts of the Clan had known where to go, the Firsts go when there adolescent training is complete. As a custom of the Dalish, a new tradition created after the Elvanuris went away, passed down from generation to generation for when things like Blights, or Evil Tevinter Magisters trying to become power mad Gods threatened the world. And now that The Dread Wolf planned to destroy everything for a chance to set his People free they all were traveling here, immune to Solas’s call. They called it Mythal’s Sanctuary because this is where, hidden from all, she created a haven where, Mythal gave her child, barely a week old, to her most trusted of servants who bared her Vallaslin would forever be protected, able to hold half of Thedas in their city. Mythal had gone back to her world only to be murdered that night. 

Nyxlyn had given all her advisors the secret to finding this place when she woke up in Orlais that day but none of them believed anything existed beyond those mountains other than the biggest of wolves, bears, snakes, spiders, and man eating plants resided and where no one returned if they foolishly made that perilous journey. She had laughed at their fearful encounters at just the edge of the deeper forests and told them that the creatures protected the city all in service to protecting the heart of the world itself. Making sure they knew to get there by all the hidden ways through Thedas. 

Nyxlyn had finally come clean about most of her lineage, save for telling them she was actually Mythal’s direct descendent or about her immortality, only about being the Queen of the Elves, once they were all within the hidden golden city. Nyxlyn was pretty sure Solas knew nothing about it since he had an intense dislike of the Dalish when they first met. He of course had never really given any of them a chance. The Dalish were distrustful on purpose to scare away anyone who would use the power for they’re own gain. With good reason it seems since the Tree of Life would tear down the Veil with no trouble at all other than killing all of the life within the world, Fade, or otherwise.

So Sanctuary was where she built her new home and army, protecting the life growing within her. As she patiently and silently watched Solas’s movements within the next few weeks, she taught herself how to meditate in the Fade and keep her dreams clear so he couldn’t guess her plans or her secrets. Other than the one time he slipped into her dream that one night a few weeks ago he couldn’t break through again as her magic increased. She blocked him out completely now having mastered the Fade magic months ago. 

She was meditating when Dorian arrived in his usual charming style for their lessons in becoming a Blood Mage. Sitting in a tree house high above the ground in the immense forest, her hands in her lap breathing deeply in and out completely at peace. She was absorbing the positive energy of the forest around her when she heard. “How long am I going to stand here waiting for you to come hug me?”

Startled out of her trance, her eyes popped open, staff already in hand and fired up. As she realized it was her friend, her defenses wavered before letting it go completely. “Jeez Dorian! Don’t scare me to death. Make a sound next time.”

Dorian laughs and bends down to hug her tight. “You look amazing. Pregnancy seems agrees with you, it seems. You are starting to glow. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing better. It still hurts hearing his name and speaking it but the child is the only way I’m getting through it. As for the rest of it, well at least I can control my dreams now and not have those nightmares of Redcliffe anymore.” Nyx replies as she pulls away. 

“Have you seen him in the Fade?”

“Once a couple weeks ago he somehow broke my wards accidently with whatever he was doing. Not since then though since I have been shutting him out completely. I can feel him there checking up on me every now and again to see if I’m still alive since none of his loyal Agents can find me.” She explains and she cleans up her space. “He does respect my boundaries and hasn’t pushed through.

“Well let’s hope he continues to do so. Wouldn’t want him to find out about your present condition just yet.” He laughs at his joke and Nyx smiles in response.

“Well Dorian, I believe I have almost mastered becoming a Blood Mage. Is there anything else to learn?” 

“Nope, you are a Blood Mage all the way through now. You have a natural talent for every magic you have learned over the last three years. Your ability to soak up the knowledge from every source you find is quite remarkable.” Dorian told her deep in thought.

“Why, Dorian are you actually complimenting someone other than yourself?” She asked teasingly. 

“Don’t let it go to your head, my dear.” He laughed back as they joked in the ways only best friends could do. “Really though, you have so much more power than when he left you. You were already an accomplished Knight Enchanter after Vivienne was through with you. Then you obtained the power from the Well of Sorrows, lived even though his mark was an ultimate death sentence. How did you accomplish not dying from that?”

“Why Dorian, I became Immortal.” She replied honestly, watching shock flicker onto his face. 

“I thought elves immortality was squashed when Solas split the Veil the first time. So how is that possible?”

She looked at him for a moment before she decided to tell him her deepest guarded secret. Debating whether or not to share was hard since that was what she had been to taught to hide all her life. “I am the last direct descendant of Mythal. We become immortal once we reach our twenty-fifth year. However with Fen’Harel’s mark slowly killing me, Mythal intervened when I drank from the Well. She branded me with her magic to slow down the mark’s magic so I would have time to fulfill my purpose in this prophecy.”

“You my girl have way too much of saving the world in your life. When will you ever get a break?” Dorian said, sympathy filled in his voice.

“Not until I die.” She said as she walked away leaving him puzzling over that remark in her wake.


	2. Crossed Paths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when they cross paths at the old caves of Crestwood? Both surprised by the other one. Nyxlyn must distract him to keep her past and present secret.

“Dread Wolf, she has entered the ruins.” Abelas reports as Fen’Harel lifts the foci of Ghilan’nain. “She isn’t alone. A few of your old companions are with her.”

Fen’Harel hisses in frustration. Her presence in the ruins came as a surprise. The only thing he could think of her to be there was to take the orb from him. He hadn’t believed her when she told him she had no plans to stop him. Her being her was proof to him that she intended to stop him. His eyes flash as he unlocks the foci of Ghilan’nain and absorbs the power. It takes him three minutes to pull it all into him self. A cold and violent look sets upon his face as the magic mixes with that of Mythal’s, June’s and his own. He turns and walks out to confront her and her companions. Inquisition disbanded indeed, he muttered in anger under his breath.

They were in the caves that used to be flooded in the lowest level. The caves were still filled with undead from the souls trapped down there that the old mayor of Crestwood had murdered secretly. None of them had engaged him sensing his power and had retreated into the shadows. 

As soon as Nyxlyn reached the lowest level, they came out and attacked her and her companions. Lighting bolts jolted out of her and found her targets. They all collapsed within a matter of seconds, the bolts disintegrating them instantly. It was this sight Fen’Harel witnessed as he walked into the large Dwarven outer rooms. Her long midnight black hair flying around her gracefully. She was attired in a leather Dalish two piece customized to her preferences. The top held her breasts up in only a revealing breast band that was held up by thin straps that crisscrossed across her sternum. The straps met her armored cloak at her color bone that covered her shoulders. The lower part of her torso and stomach were bare revealing more skin. Her well toned muscles flexed when she had released the bolt. She wore matching leather breeches the color of full moon blue. The entire armor set his blood racing at one look at her. Lust sparked inside him strongly, taking him by surprise as it always did. He shook himself and stepped down until he was behind her.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He demanded angrily. She tensed a moment at the sound of his voice. Her staff was flaring with instinctive defense magic at the ready. Realizing who it was she stood straighter, her body taking on an air of command. She turned and he gasped at the sight of her face. She had a new Vallaslin in the color of gold, in the form of Mythal’s Tree. Her head was raised high in stubborn defiance, her face an emotionless mask.

“An'daran Atish'an Fen’Harel.” She held his gaze steadily each one held the others gaze. This dumbfounded him since she used to look away after she had found out who he was seeing him as the alpha. But now she held his gaze as if she was his equal. 

“I asked you a question, Inquisitor.”

“My reasons are my own, Dread Wolf. I have no quarrel with you.” 

“You do, if you have come to stop me. You’re too late in any case. I have already absorbed the orb of Ghilan’nain.” The Dread Wolf sneers at her showing her a portion of what he has started to become. Eyes flashing with intent trying to dominate her. 

“Though you believe otherwise I have no interests in those orbs. I don’t need them. I am here for a different reason entirely. I have come for another artifact. Had I known you were here I would have waited until you were gone.” She pushed past him nodding at her companions to follow her. A command he remembered well. What he didn’t expect, however, was the reaction of his Agents. They all bowed their heads in respect to her as she headed passed them to the northern room where the artifact they had found on their travels was located. What could she want with that? He wondered, briefly. She stopped at the cavern entrance, her eyes flickering to him to see if he followed. Her face betrayed her with a slight hint of fear as she hesitated to enter. 

 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

“I need you guys to distract him. I can’t collect the ward with him watching me. It will jeopardize everything and we will all die. Give the signal for our troops to engage his but don’t kill anyone.” She whispers to Varric, Bull, and Dorian. They all nodded their heads before Varric activated his stealth magic and whistled to their hidden troops. Instantly chaos erupted as several Dalish fired arrows and fighting ensued. Bull charged at Solas a yell coming out of him. Solas jolted at the sound but quickly countered Bull’s halfhearted attack. Dorian stood guard at the cavern keeping all forces away as Nyxlyn slipped unnoticed inside.

She rushed to the artifact and quickly took out her own foci. She waved her hand over the artifact shakily, breathing heavily, and heart pounding in fear as she absorbed all the magic the artifact. When the magic was absorbed the artifact cracked and broke in half. With her goal accomplished she walked out to see Bull, Varric, and most of her visible forces had been turned to stone. Fen’Harel’s eyes glowed fiercely as he was about to kill Bull by turning him to ash.

“Don’t.” She commanded at the entrance, her briefly face showing her worry and horror at possibly loosing her friend and then she schooled her features back into her mask. Dorian lay begging at his feet, eyes desperate not wanting to lose his lover. She secretly absorbed the magic in the air into herself to strengthen herself. She walked toward him eyes never leaving his as she walked to each and every one of her forces, touching their faces, and bringing them back to life. Fen’Harel gasped in shock because only he could undo what he had done. How she knew the magic to even do the spell alone surprised him. It seemed she had learned some new things since she’d been in hiding. “My goals are finished and so are yours. No lives need to be taken this day. Do not loose the self you want to be Solas, fight for him as I am doing.”

“I don’t know what you hoped to accomplish with attacking me but I don’t think you should again. It will be your mistake.” The Dread Wolf growled in threat.

“You don’t frighten me, Fen’Harel. I am your equal even if you don’t see it.” Nyxlyn growled, just as menacingly in reply. Her eyes narrowed at him angrily but her head was still head high in challenge. “Don’t threaten me again or you won’t like the outcome, Dread Wolf.”

Nyxlyn walked up to Bull and set him free from his stone prison before pushing Solas against the wall. From the corner of her eye she could see Dorian hug Bull in a desperate and passionate embrace.

“I am trying to help you, Ma Vhenan.” She caresses his face, her eyes tender looking up at him with love. “I only needed to distract you. You can’t know my path or save me from it. Only know that it will cross with yours from time to time. When those times are at hand please refrain from taking my troops lives.” She told him and then kissed him lightly on his lips in farewell. She then whistled to her troops and they all followed her out of the caves to where their horses waited. Fen’Harel followed with his and looked at her with confusion. She had given him something to puzzle over. He was going to find out what her goals were if he had to. Nothing was going to stand in his way.

She rode away her face still turned to him. She shook her head, knowing what he was thinking before she turned her head to focus on the road head. She kicked her horse’s sides sending Spirit into a hard gallop, fleeing from him once again his agents losing her for several months.


End file.
